Tanegashima Tokitaka

A military commander during the Sengoku period. His father was Shigetoki, the 13th head of Tanegashima, and his mother was the daughter of Shimazu Satsuma Tadaoki. It is said that Tokinobu, the son of Yukimori, grandson of Taira no Kiyomori, became the first head of the Tanegashima clan when he was ordered by the Kamakura shogunate to rule the 12 southern islands, but in fact he was a deputy governor of the Nagoe clan, a local lord, and ruled Tanegashima from the Muromachi period onwards. In March 1543 (Tenbun 12), when Tokitaka was 15 years old, Nejime Shigenaga of the Osumi Peninsula attacked Tanegashima in an attempt to expel Shigetoki, who was head of the family, because he was oppressing the people. Shigetoki fled to Yakushima, and Tokitaka compromised by ceding Yakushima to maintain the Tanegashima clan, and Shigenaga returned to the island in April. Tokitaka's political power was greater than that of his younger counterpart. In August, he noticed a gun that a Portuguese man from the South had brought ashore, and he acquired it, learned how to shoot it, and taught his retainers how to make it. He led the introduction of guns to Japan, and it became popular as the Tanegashima gun (there are different theories about the year of the introduction of guns, based on European historical documents). This was the result of Tokitaka's interest in Western culture. From 1555 (Koji 1), he belonged to the Shimazu clan, a feudal lord of the warring states period, and married his daughter to the head of the Shimazu clan, Yoshihisa Shimazu. He held onto his territory despite attacks from the Ito, Kimotsuki, Nemune, and Ijichi clans, and was trusted by the Shimazu clan, a feudal lord of the warring states period. Although he was a local lord, he built the foundation to become a family with a high status (private lord family) during the feudal period. For more information on the introduction of firearms, see the "Teppo-ki" section in Volume 4 of the "Tanegashima Kafu" ("Kagoshima Prefecture Historical Materials: Kyuuki Miscellaneous Records, Collection of Family Records, Family Division 4," 1994, Kagoshima Prefecture).

[Yasushi Miki]

"Tanegashima Family Compilation 'Tanegashima Family Genealogy' Volumes 2 and 3 (Kagoshima Prefectural Historical Materials Center Reimeikan ed. 'Kagoshima Prefectural Historical Materials: Kyuuki Miscellaneous Records, Family Division 4', 1994, Kagoshima Prefecture)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

戦国期の武将。父種子島13代当主恵時(しげとき)、母島津薩州家忠興(ただおき)の娘。種子島氏は、平清盛の孫行盛(ゆきもり)の子時信(ときのぶ)が鎌倉幕府から南島12島の支配を命じられ初代となったというが、実は地頭名越(なごえ)氏の代官出身で、室町期以降種子島を統治した領主である。時尭15歳の1543年（天文12）3月大隅半島の禰寝重長(ねじめしげなが)が、家督に就いていた恵時が民を苦しめているので追放しようと種子島に攻め込むと、恵時は屋久島に逃れて時尭が屋久島を割譲するなど妥協し種子島氏を維持し、重長が帰ると4月には恵時が帰島した。時尭の政治力は若年より優れていた。8月漂着の南蛮人（ポルトガル人）が持っていた鉄砲に目を付け、譲り受けて射撃術を学び製作技法を家臣に習わせ、鉄砲の日本伝来を主導し、種子島銃として普及した（なお鉄砲伝来の年次にはヨーロッパの史料よる異説がある）。時尭が西洋の文物に注目していた結果である。1555年（弘治1）以降戦国大名島津氏に属し、娘を当主島津義久の室とし、伊東、肝付(きもつき)、禰寝、伊地知(いじち)各氏の攻撃にも屈せず所領を保持し、戦国大名島津氏に信頼され、国衆ながら藩政期に一所持格の家筋（私領主家）となる基礎を築いた。なお、鉄砲の伝来については『種子島家譜』巻4（『鹿児島県史料　旧記雑録拾遺　家わけ四』1994・鹿児島県）所載の「鉄炮記」が詳細である。

［三木　靖］

『種子島家編纂『種子島家譜』巻2・3（鹿児島県歴史資料センター黎明館編『鹿児島県史料　旧記雑録拾遺　家わけ四』・1994・鹿児島県）』

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